Remote Controlled Helicopter Kills Man in Brooklyn

Roman Pirozek was killed while flying a remote-controlled model helicopter on Thursday.

By Pervaiz Shallwani, Sarah Armaghan and Danny Gold

UPDATED | A 19-year-old model helicopter enthusiast was killed Thursday when a toy helicopter he was flying struck him in the head, a law-enforcement official said.

Victim Roman Pirozek “was known to be aggressive in his flying and often executed tricks. He was executing a trick when he was struck,” the official said.

The accident occurred around 3:30 p.m. at Calvert Vaux Park, near Shore Parkway and Bay 44th Street in the Gravesend neighborhood in Brooklyn, the official said.

Mr. Pirozek – depicted in the above YouTube video he posted in July — was flying a remote-controlled helicopter worth about $2,000 when it struck him, cutting off the top of his head, the official said. The Woodhaven, Queens, resident was pronounced dead at the scene. His father was with him at the time of the accident, the official said.

“He was the best person ever. He had the biggest heart,” said Mr. Pirozek’s sister, Amy Pirozek. “I think he was just doing it because it was his day off.”

She said he worked as a cargo handler for an airline. “He always protected me,” she said. “He was a good brother. I’ll never forget that.”

Calvert Vaux Park is a favorite among model helicopter enthusiasts. There were three or four people in area when the incident occurred.

Mr. Pirozek, who posted videos of his devices’ flights on his YouTube channel, traveled to fly remote controlled helicopters and was vice president of the Seaview Rotary Wings, a Brooklyn-based model helicopter flying club, according to friends at the scene and the group’s website.

Mr. Pirozek’s enthusiasm for the activity is evident on his Facebook page, where nearly every post and photo chronicles his love of model helicopters.

He expressed his joy flying at an Aug. 18 event in Glasgow, Del. A week later, in one of his final posts, he wrote: “Great day for flying, the new frame brace is working great, breaking in some new packs i just got, they are the best that I have flown so far and loving them.”

He was a 2012 graduate of High School For Construction Trades, Engineering and Architecture in Queens, according to his Facebook page.

The field where he was flying is sanctioned by the city as as a model aircraft field. It is also sanctioned by the Academy of Model Aeronautics, a national model aviation organization, and home to an annual event that was held on Labor Day, said a friend at the scene who did not want to give his name.

The mangled helicopter has black and white striped wings, the official said. It came came to rest on its propeller in a grassy area of the park.